Why do we have several babies baptised at the one ceremony?
In receiving baptism your child becomes a member of the Church. Therefore, the presence of the believing community represents the action of baptism. The gathered community is a sign of the Church who welcomes your child. In fact, the celebrant says to your child, calling him or her by name, ‘The Christian community welcomes you with great joy. In its name I claim you for Christ our saviour by the sign of his cross.’ If possible baptism should be celebrated during the Sunday Eucharist when the community are gathered together to celebrate the Lord’s Day If it is not possible to have the celebration during the Sunday Eucharist, the gathering of the community of the parents and families of the babies to be baptised are present as the community of the Church. This material was prepared by Elizabeth Delaney sgs, Information Officer, Australian Catholic Bishops Conference with thanks to Catholic Ireland for the use of their content. The material may be reproduced for non-commercial use provid
